Doing Business in Spain

Business etiquette, language & culture

Spanish Society & Culture

Language

The Spanish language is Castillian and comes from the region of Castille. It is the official language of the entire country. However, there are several languages spoken in Spain in addition to Spanish, each with their own pronunciations and spellings, including Catalan (spoken in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia); Valencian (in Valencia); Galician or Gallego (in northwest Spain); and Euskera (in the Basque area).

Knowledge of English is reasonably extensive in Spanish business, particularly amongst executives and the younger generation, but do not rely on being able to communicate in English – check ahead to see if an interpreter is needed. The DIT (formerly UKTI) teams in Spain can assist with finding an interpreter if required (see contact details in this guide).

As a common courtesy, as a UK business wishing to succeed in Spain you will find that understanding and speaking a little Spanish – although possibly not essential – does indicate that you are serious about doing business there, and shows that you are keen to understand and appreciate their local culture. If your plan is to sell to the Spanish, try to speak Spanish.

The people

The majority of Spaniards are Roman Catholic, although different religious beliefs are accepted, and the family is considered the most important thing to the Spanish. They are cheerful and outgoing, and use expansive body language to express this. Personal pride and individualism are highly valued, as are character and rank and status, with conservatism and modesty being valued over assertiveness. People strive to project affluence and social position as appearance is considered extremely important, dressing elegantly and avoiding bright or flashy colours. Human relationships are also considered very important, particularly in the business world.

Meeting and greeting

While many Spaniards of the opposite sex greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks, this is not common in business relationships unless the parties know each other well. It is best to shake hands with everyone present – men, women and children – at a business or social meeting. If a kiss is appropriate, the Spanish will initiate it.

The Spanish have two first names and two surnames, composed of their father's first surname and their mother's first surname. Use Señor (Sr.) or Señora (Sra.) as you would Mr. or Mrs., and ‘Señorita’ for an unmarried woman.

Dining

Business can be conducted over meals, but be aware that the Spanish regard eating mainly as a sociable activity. Spaniards rarely invite business contacts to their home; instead they prefer to meet in a restaurant or café. Lunches/dinners are a vital part of establishing a relationship to see if the chemistry is correct and to develop trust. Generally very little business tends to be carried out at mealtimes.

It is acceptable and not uncommon to be late by 30 minutes in southern Spain and 15 minutes in northern Spain for social meetings. Restaurants tend to stay open late at night, and dinner usually commences around 9.00 or 10.00pm.

 

Corporate culture

Overview

Dress code is hugely important in Spain. How you dress will be perceived as a reflection of your social standing and success in business. A belief in status permeates all aspects of Spanish society – ideally you should try to find a well-connected person to establish good introductions for you.

Trust and personal relationships are the keys to the success of doing business in Spain. Spaniards will want to spend time getting to know you and establishing a relationship before doing business. Personal qualities are valued over technical ability, professionalism or competence.

Spaniards do not take punctuality for business meetings seriously, but expect that you will be on time. However, be prepared to possibly wait a while for your Spanish counterparts to arrive.

Do not be surprised if during business meetings your Spanish colleagues speak at the same time or interrupt one another – this is not unusual and it is common to express open disagreement and constructive conflict. Do not move away or keep your distance as this may be interpreted as unfriendly. The Spanish prefer less personal space than is the norm in the UK.

Emails

Be careful with emails. Write in Spanish whenever possible using good, simple, concise and direct language. Never rely on internet translation sites as they are often inaccurate – always use a Spanish person or official translator. See: www.astlanguage.com

Business cards

These should be printed in English on one side and in Spanish overleaf. You should hand your card with the Spanish side facing the recipient.

Meetings

To arrange a meeting write first (in Spanish), and follow-up with a phone call or e-mail. Large businesses usually work from 9.00 am until about 1.30 or 2.00 pm, then from 4.30 or 5.00 pm until about 8.00 pm, with a long lunch break of about two hours starting around 1.30pm. The best time for meetings is between 10.00 and 11.00 am or after 5.00 pm. Avoid Friday afternoons, August, Catholic festivals and national holidays as many businesses will be closed (see the table of holidays).

Business can be conducted over meals, but be aware that the Spanish regard eating mainly as a social activity.

 

Spanish public holidays

2016

Date	Day	Holiday	Region
25 Oct	Tue	Basque Country Regional Holiday	Basque Country
1 Nov	Tue	All Saints' Day	National
3 Dec	Sat	San Francisco Javier	Navarre
6 Dec	Tue	Constitution Day	National
8 Dec	Thu	Immaculate Conception	National
25 Dec	Sun	Christmas Day	National
26 Dec	Mon	Regional Holiday	Extremadura
26 Dec	Mon	St. Stephen's Day	Catalonia

 

2017

Date	Day	Holiday	Region
1 Jan	Sun	New Year's Day	National
6 Jan	Fri	Epiphany	National
28 Feb	Tue	Andalusia Regional Holiday	Andalusia
1 Mar	Wed	Balearic Islands Regional Holiday	Balearic Islands
19 Mar	Sun	St. Joseph's Day	Melilla, Castilla-La Mancha, Galicia, Balearic Islands, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre, Asturias, Valencia
13 Apr	Thu	Maundy Thursday	National (Except Catalonia and Valencia)
14 Apr	Fri	Good Friday	National
17 Apr	Mon	Easter Monday	Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Navarre, Basque Country, Valencia
24 Apr	Mon	Aragon Regional Holiday	Aragon
24 Apr	Mon	Castile and León Regional Holiday	Castile and León
1 May	Mon	Labour Day	National
2 May	Tue	Madrid Regional Holiday	Madrid
15 May	Mon	San Isidro	Madrid
17 May	Wed	Galician Literature Day	Galicia
30 May	Tue	Canary Islands Regional Holiday	Canary Islands
31 May	Wed	Castile-La Mancha Regional Holiday	Castilla-La Mancha
9 Jun	Fri	Murcia Regional Holiday	Murcia
9 Jun	Fri	La Rioja Regional Holiday	La Rioja
15 Jun	Thu	Corpus Christi	Castilla-La Mancha
24 Jun	Sat	St. John's Day	Catalonia
25 Jul	Tue	St. James Day	Galicia
15 Aug	Tue	Assumption of Mary	National
2 Sep	Sat	Ceuta Municipal Holiday	Ceuta
1 Sep	Fri	Feast of the Sacrifice / Eid al-Adha	Ceuta & Melilla
8 Sep	Fri	Astorias Regional Holiday	Asturias
8 Sep	Fri	Extremadura Regional Holiday	Extremadura
11 Sep	Mon	National Day of Catalonia	Catalonia
15 Sep	Fri	Cantabria Regional Holiday	Cantabria
9 Oct	Mon	Valencian Regional Holiday	Valencia
12 Oct	Thu	Fiesta Nacional de España	National
25 Oct	Wed	Basque Country Regional Holiday	Basque Country
1 Nov	Wed	All Saints' Day	National
6 Dec	Wed	Constitution Day	National
8 Dec	Fri	Immaculate Conception	National
25 Dec	Mon	Christmas Day	National
26 Dec	Tue	St. Stephen's Day	Catalonia

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